CAMPING ON THE PLAINS 87 



and there that showed long distances. Here 

 were home-grown compasses that wo\ild not get 

 out of order, or become lost or broken. 



I was eager to see the country off in the north 

 beyond the North Platte River. Leaving most 

 of my things at Buffalo Camp I started north- 

 ward one morning, travelling light. I would re- 

 turn to this camp in three or four days. I did 

 not stop often or long, but headed northeast and 

 at noon came to the river. Following down- 

 stream along its low bank I saw a number of logs 

 on a sand bar. With willows I lashed two of 

 these logs together and after a delay of only an 

 hour pushed off into the water with a pole. 

 Annual high water had not yet arrived and in a 

 few minutes my two-log raft was on the sandy, 

 shallow farther water edge. I tied the raft, 

 thinking I might come that way again, and went 

 on. When evening came I was a long distance 

 from Buffalo Camp and the river with an empty 

 canteen. I had not seen any water since cross- 

 ing the river, about twenty miles back. A map 

 that I carried indicated a small stream a little 

 more than twenty miles off to the north. As I 

 was northward bound I concluded to travel on 

 through the night. 



It was a perfect evening and off I walked 

 across the lonely prairie, heading for the North 

 Star. Clouds came floating across the sky and 



